MEDINA, OH — A former federal task force officer will spend the next three months in jail following his sentencing Thursday for his role in illegally detaining a truck driver during a drunken night at a Medina County bar.
Dan Lajack pleaded guilty to attempted abduction stemming from the April 2024 incident at Buzzard’s Roost Tavern in Hinckley.
“I made a horrible mistake, and I regret it every single day of my life,” Lajack said in court.
According to investigators, Lajack and another off-duty federal task force officer were at the bar when they began questioning a man about his origin, then took the man’s wallet and phone and forced him outside.
Body camera video showed the other agent had the man in a leg lock when police arrived.
The man told officers he was originally from Africa but was living in Texas. He said he worked as a truck driver and was in town making a delivery.
But on police body camera video, Lajack, who worked as a DEA task force officer, told police he was convinced the man was in the country illegally and said he wanted to make sure the man was not on “some watchlist.”
“I'm not going to be the guy on the f***ing news that said, ‘Oh, I just walked away and this guy blows the f***ing Strongsville mall up tomorrow,” said Lajack.
In court, Lajack’s lawyer called what happened a drunken rant.
Lajack apologized to the court, his colleagues, as well as friends and family.
“I look back at that and I'm horrified, terrified at the things I said,” said Lajack. “To this day, I still can't understand why I did that.”
Lajack’s attorney said the 50-year old also wrote a letter of apology to the victim following his client’s guilty plea in February.
The truck driver did not attend Lajack’s sentencing.
“I pray every single day that he heals from that and doesn't view me or any other law enforcement officer going forward that we're bad people,” said Lajack.
Judge Joyce Kimbler told Lajack she believed he’s remorseful, but added alcohol is not an excuse.
“Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, so your true self comes out,” said Kimbler, “and this is who you were that night. It wasn't the alcohol talking. It was you.”
The judge sentenced Lajack to three months in jail, two years of probation and ordered him to serve 100 hours of community service.
As part of the plea deal, Lajack also surrendered his police officer’s certification.
Donald Kopchak, a former off-duty ATF task force officer who was with Lajack that night, was convicted of two counts of abduction, ethnic intimidation and assault last week.
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Kopchak is in the Medina County jail awaiting sentencing in June.
